Always There
by Ardikani4
Summary: Warrior Star had lost her creators, she had lost her dark sister...all she had left to lose was herself. Even her brothers couldn't save her. But could the arrival of one mech change her fate? Could he be what she had been searching for all along? Sequel to The Wanderer
1. The Nightmare

_It was dark. She was running. To where or from what, she didn't know. All she knew was the blinding panic in her spark, telling her to hurry or that she would be too late._

_Then it came. A howl so piercing and so pained that she found herself screaming aloud, her entire being wracked with an agony that was not her own. Then she saw her. Surrounded by throngs of dark creatures and alone. Yet she didn't waver. Blazing red optics shone in the darkness, fierce and unafraid. Then the dark swarm converged, and the red light from her optics was snuffed out like a candle's flame. Forever._

_A cry so desperate and so painful was torn from somewhere so deep within her frame that it seemed to shatter the air around her. The world took on a crazy tilt as a roiling agony ripped through her spark, the pain unbearable as she felt the connection she had with the other femme stretch, then go cold. All she knew was loss and darkness as she fell into a deep, dark pit from which there was no return…_

Warrior Star jerked awake with a snarl, her massive head snapping up to scan her surroundings with blazing cobalt blue optics that burned with grief and rage. Within a few seconds, it registered in her processor that she was alone and in no danger, so she lowered her head to the ground again and vented harshly.

_A dream…_ She thought, shuttering her optics as a very gentle tug on her spark made her attention drift elsewhere. A few seconds later, her sensitive audios picked up on the distinct sound of razor-sharp metal claws slicing over rock, and she opened one optic to study her guest.

Eighteen feet tall at the shoulder, Shadowfang stood before her, his steel gray armor glowing an eerie whitish-silver in the light from the moon as his flame red optics met hers piercingly.

"Warrior Star? Are you all right? You seem…distressed." He asked, his deep voice thrumming into her chest and soothing her still racing spark somewhat. Oily tears filled her optics as she lifted her head and looked away from him, shuttering her optics as his widened in shock. Shadowfang had managed to catch his sister during one of her rare moments where all her walls were down and she was willing to break down and cry. He jolted when she spoke, her voice broken by pain and grief.

"No, Shadowfang…I am not all right. My spark…my processor…they hurt. They hurt worse than anything I have ever known. I feel like I lost a spark mate, I hurt so badly…" As her words trailed away, he moved, walking around her and laying down so that she could lean against his side. She did so immediately, leaning on his spark through their bond as well as she dropped her head onto her paws and shuttered her optics again. Oily tears dotted the ground beneath her massive jaws as Shadowfang gently laid his head on top of hers.

"You and War Beast…you shared a unique bond. Not even your bonds with me or Keystone or Swiftpaw compare. She was born within you, an offshoot of your conscience. You two were very much alike, though it took many millennia for that to become apparent. You probably hurt like this because your processor and your spark think you lost a twin. I am not surprised to hear you say that you are suffering as much as you are…War Beast's loss was catastrophic. Though had she known that this would be the effect of her not coming back, I do not believe she would have made the same choice that she did. She would not have wanted you to be suffering like this." Warrior Star's frame trembled slightly as she leaned against him just a little more, taking comfort in his love and his strength as he softly spoke again.

"You will be fine, sister. You are strong, stronger than any femme to ever live. It will take time, but you will adjust without her. You still have the three of us; all you have to do is ask, and we'll all give you whatever strength you need to get through. You will be all right, Warrior Star. You will be all right."

* * *

The night was cold but the sky was clear, a half-moon lighting the rocky landscape in an eerie fashion. Shadows crept and danced across the landscape, sending small creatures scuttling for cover at the slightest movement as high above, a massive shape expertly rode the night winds. Moonflight had stayed with Warrior Star and her pack after Shockwave's demise, preferring the company of the four wolves over the Autobots and the humans.

Lately though, the femme that had been his friend for as long as he could remember was just…not the femme she had been before. He knew, just as her brothers did, that War Beast was the reason. Her loss had hit Warrior Star much harder than any of them could have anticipated.

It hadn't been obvious at first…Warrior Star seemed much like her usual self after her return from The Mists, but as time went on, War Beast's loss began to take its toll. The nightmares began, then came the severe ache in her processor, then her spark began to suffer. Moonflight had spoken to all three of her brothers about it, and he was shocked when they told him that there was nothing they could do besides lend her their strength in the hopes that she would eventually begin to recover. Moonflight was puzzled, and he was also extremely concerned. He had no idea what he could do to help…if he could even help anyway.

As the Predacon slowly wheeled in circles in the night sky, Keystone and Swiftpaw emerged from their den below him, and he focused his dark red optics on them out of sheer curiosity alone. He was glad he did, though, once he took note of their stiff postures, the tenseness in both mechs' frames.

_Something isn't right…_ Moonflight thought, tucking in his wings and diving as Swiftpaw took a few cautious steps forward and raised his head to look up at the stars. Transforming mere feet before he hit the ground, Moonflight landed in a crouch in bi-ped mode, rising to his full height as both mechs turned to study him.

"Something is wrong. What do you smell?" The Predacon asked, and Keystone turned to look at Swiftpaw as the youngest of the four wolves lifted his head again to take several deep breaths in, his green optics glowing brightly in the moonlight as he slowly traced a path across the sky uneasily.

"I…am not sure. It isn't an Autobot, it isn't a Decepticon. Can't even tell if it's mech or femme. All I know is that it's coming…soon." Swiftpaw said, keeping his optics trained on the sky as Keystone took over.

"He can't smell it yet, Moonflight. We've been tracking an odd signal the past two days, heading straight for us. Don't think the Autobots have it yet…if they did, I think they'd be screaming up a storm at Warrior Star by now. They haven't sent a single scout out since we've been roaming out here. But in the condition she's in…we haven't even told her. Don't want to get her any more riled up than necessary." Moonflight saw the sadness in Keystone's gold optics, and he took a few steps closer and lowered his voice as the black mech met his gaze solidly.

"She is not getting better?" The Predacon asked, noting that Swiftpaw had turned to stare at him as well as Keystone slowly shook his huge head.

"No…if anything, she is getting worse. If this continues, I am afraid her spark will sustain permanent damage…or worse…" The mech didn't say it, but Moonflight knew what he was thinking, and he felt his spark go cold.

"So…if she doesn't start making a turnaround…" Moonflight said, and Keystone finished his sentence.

"She will follow War Beast sooner than we thought."

* * *

**A/N: Okay. So I'm like a TERRIBLE author. I promised that I'd finish my other two stories before I started the sequel to The Wanderer...but then this really great idea hit, and I didn't want to make everyone just sit there any longer after the teaser I threw in the epilogue to The Wanderer...so here it is! The start of the long-awaited sequel!**

**Sorry it took so bloody long. Today was my first day home from the Mojave Desert, which is where I was from like the 6th of February up until...1100 this morning. But just to forewarn, this story may or may not take precedence until Battle Song and Shadows from the Past are done. I just couldn't wait to post this. Am I horrible for that?**

**Anyway! My usual spiel, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	2. Rampage

The wind whistled softly in the night, long after Warrior Star and her brothers had bedded down for the second time. Moonflight still patrolled the night skies, so the four wolves knew they were safe to sleep. Deep in the network of caverns the pack called home, Warrior Star lay in the main cavern, her massive frame motionless as a fire burned in the middle of the cavern. The flames painted mysterious patterns and shapes across her thick bronze armor, every scar telling a part of the story of the life she had led as her brothers snoozed comfortably in smaller caves not far away. Outside of the crackle of the fire, the cave was almost eerily silent. Almost…

The shuffle of pebbles across dirt brought a flicker of movement from Warrior Star's scarred ears, though she was still in recharge. Her defense protocols settled after nothing else could be heard, then she tensed as the sound came again, closer now. Waking from recharge, she raised her head and turned to look, wondering at what was causing the sound. Her brilliant cobalt blue optics met the gaze of a creature that she was well familiar with, and she relaxed immediately.

Not only was the cavern system home to Warrior Star and her pack, it was also home to a family of mountain lions. Both groups had learned to tolerate each other and they mostly left each other alone. For one of the big cats to have come this close to her, Warrior Star knew there was a problem.

Seeing that he had the femme's attention, the big male cat turned, heading deliberately for the exit before stopping and looking back to ensure that Warrior Star was following. Getting to her feet silently, the huge femme stepped forward, slowly following the mountain lion outside and into the snow as Moonflight continued his slow circuits in the night sky.

The cat moved rapidly, bounding through the snow easily as the femme followed carefully, mindful of how small he was in comparison to her. It didn't take long for the cat to get to his destination, and when he paused and looked at her again, Warrior Star came forward, finding herself at the edge of a cliff. Puzzled, she looked back at the cat, then watched as he looked down. She did the same, her optics searching the cliff intently. Then she saw them.

Tracks in the snow, _huge_ tracks. Cybertronian in size. Instantly Warrior Star's optics narrowed, and she opened a comm link with Moonflight immediately.

"Moonflight. Anything happen tonight that you forgot to mention?" Her tone was calm and not accusatory, but Moonflight instantly sensed that something just wasn't right.

"No, I would have told you. Why?" His tone was confused and ever so slightly defensive. _Good. I need him focused._

"Come to my location…there is something you need to see." She said, then closed the link. _Let him see what has me so uneasy._

Less than a minute later, Moonflight was there, dropping from the sky to land in bi-ped form alongside the femme as he looked at her expectantly. She jerked her head downward, indicating where it was he needed to look. And she could tell the moment his processor registered what he was seeing, when his optics went wide with shock and confusion, and ultimately, anger.

"How did you miss this, Moonflight? We're barely two miles from the cavern." Warrior Star asked, feeling her spark twisting in her chest as the Predacon turned to face her.

"I don't know! Are you sure they aren't from one of your brothers?" His question was a good one, so Warrior Star turned and leaped off the cliff, falling to the bottom like a stone and landing gently before lowering her head to take in the scent from the tracks. A few good sniffs later and she raised her head to stare at the Predacon.

"No, not from them. One of the mountain lions showed them to me…they're fresh, Moonflight. Really fresh. Whoever made them is nearby…we have to find them. Quickly." She was about to lower her head again when Moonflight's optics flashed dangerously and he leaped into the sky and transformed. Curious, she looked back at him, then the sound of trees cracking made her whirl to look behind her. But she was too slow.

The musk of Decepticon surrounded her as her attacker landed solidly on her back, sending her muzzle-first into the snow as Moonflight dove to assist. Warrior Star felt it when the mech made contact, sending both himself and her attacker tumbling as she rolled back to her paws and turned to face them.

Moonflight was already airborne again, and Warrior Star found herself facing off with Rampage. Baring her lethal silver dentals and snarling low in her chest, she began to stalk the lone Predacon, wondering how this turn of events was making her friend feel, being a Predacon himself.

"Don't worry about me, Warrior Star. Finish him." Moonflight called, having accurately read what she was thinking as she stalked Rampage calmly.

"As you wish, Moonflight." She called, spotting an opening and charging Rampage head-on. The mech snarled, hurling himself towards her, but before they made contact, something hit the Predacon like a freight train and sent him sprawling. Slamming to a halt with a snarl, Warrior Star snapped her head up, finding that Shadowfang was posted solidly in front of her, his flame red optics glowing madly as Swiftpaw and Keystone fell on Rampage, ripping the Predacon to pieces as his energon stained the pristine snow.

"I was _fine_, brother." She growled, shouldering past Shadowfang to approach the now offline Rampage, studying the downed mech as Keystone and Swiftpaw disappeared into the woods to search for any more Decepticons.

"I know, sister." Shadowfang said softly, but something in his tone made her tense before she spun to face him.

"Do you have something you wish to say?" Warrior Star snarled, her cobalt blue optics gleaming as she stalked forward until they were face to face. To his credit, Shadowfang didn't flinch even as she bared her massive dentals right in his face, merely staring straight into her optics calmly as he spoke again.

"You can't hide your…condition, I guess I should call it, from us, Warrior Star. We're your brothers…we can feel what's happening to you. Face it. That mech was on you before you even knew it. You have never been that slow to turn before, nor have you ever been so lacking in attention that a mech could get _that_ close. You are growing weaker by the day." Anything else he may have had to say went unheard when Warrior Star's huge forepaw slammed into the side of his helm, knocking the big mech sprawling as Moonflight dropped from the sky to land between them. The Predacon's dark red optics were wide with shock and uneasiness as he stared at the enraged bronze femme before speaking cautiously.

"Was that really necessary? You asked his opinion, Warrior Star. Now you are angry that he gave it?" From behind the Predacon, Shadowfang rose to his feet, working his jaw carefully before he called out to the other mech.

"Don't bother, Moonflight. I knew she would react badly, because she knows it is true. War Beast's loss has really torn her up and we all know it." Warrior Star took a step forward and snarled, preparing to say something, when she suddenly tensed, and her optics shot to the sky. Moonflight and Shadowfang both looked up in time to see a huge meteor go streaking by, leaving a trail of fire and debris in its wake.

Slowly, the bronze femme brought her head down to stare at the steel gray mech, and the look in her optics made Moonflight fall back a few steps. Then she spoke, her voice cold and hard and edged with a rage that made both mechs shudder.

"Let me guess…you knew and didn't tell me. Out of _concern_ for my _condition._" Shadowfang shifted on his paws as Swiftpaw and Keystone erupted from the trees behind him.

"We…didn't want you…to get too upset…and make anything worse…" The mech mumbled softly, and she cut him off with a snarl.

"No matter. Now whoever that is that just flew over is here, and we have to deal with it. Come. Let's go deal with it." Warrior Star wheeled and raced in the direction the meteor had gone, leaving her brothers and the Predacon scrambling in her wake.

* * *

**A/N: I know this isn't Warrior Star like we all know her...kinda what I was planning on. Not sure what kind of hell I'm going to put her through in this story yet...working on something though.**

**She's just really, really pissed right now. Can't sleep and no one is telling her those important little things that you kinda sorta want to know in the event that the sky decides to fall on you.**

**She'll be better in a few chapters. I think. LOL**

**And thanks for my readers out there, and my two reviewers as well! ^.^ You guys make a writer's world go 'round! And thanks for the faves and follows as well!**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take whatever you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	3. Breaksteel

Warrior Star's anger lent speed to her paws, and she raced through the forest at near suicidal speeds. Only her ability to twist at high speeds was saving her, her frame creaking dangerously as she dodged trees skillfully. Her armor flexed and groaned, tree branches slapping off of her chest armor and helm as she cut so close on some turns that she took bark off of the trees. She burst from the forest, slamming to a halt when she realized she had reached the landing site of their…visitor.

A long furrow in the dirt ended in a massive crater, steam still rising into the air from the impact as Warrior Star narrowed her optics, then raised her head to search the area.

_Where are you…_ She thought, her cobalt blue optics sweeping the area, then a slight movement in the opposing treeline caught her attention. She instantly turned to it, finding herself staring into a pair of yellow optics that gleamed with uncertainty, but held a sort of fearlessness that intrigued her.

It was a mech. A big, sleek, powerful mech. His armor was the color of threatening storm clouds, fading to silver on his belly and the insides of his legs. He moved with a slight limp, staying in the treeline, but she was still able to see his entire huge frame.

_What IS he?_ Warrior Star wondered, scanning the internet to try and find a similarity for the mech's form. She came up with a combination of things. His head and face closely resembled a bobcat, a short neck leading to a body that seemed almost too long for his head. His body, sleek and powerful, cropped up an image resemblance for a thanator, a fictional creature from some fantasy/sci-fi movie that was extremely popular. His legs were like hers, that of a wolf, long, thick and powerful, able to eat up the miles like they were nothing. His tail was a little strange, shorter than hers and her brothers, but ending in a star-like barb that gleamed with a deadly brilliance in the moonlight. As she watched, the barb transformed down into an innocent looking tail tip, then flickered back out to its original form.

_Hmm. Sneaky. And deadly. He's built for close combat…but it matters not what he is or what he was created for. He dies here and now._ Warrior Star thought, letting loose with a vicious snarl, then she charged. She didn't care that the mech was sheltered behind several trees, merely turning her massive frame so that her shoulder smashed down the ones in her way.

The mech stumbled back, trying to avoid both the falling trees and the charging femme, but she was too close and he didn't have enough room to maneuver. Lowering her head, she slammed into him like a charging bull, forcing him up onto his rear paws before raising her head and throwing him onto his back. Forced to leap over him rather than trip over him and slam nose-first into the dirt, Warrior Star leaped, hitting the ground behind him and sliding to a halt as she flattened several more trees in the process. Regaining her balance, she twisted and leaped for him again.

The mech had managed to roll onto his belly when her forepaws hit his shoulder, driving him into the dirt and knocking him on his side as her hind paws hit the dirt, then one forepaw hit the ground on his far side before she slammed the other down onto his thick silver chest plate. She lowered her head to sink her jagged dentals into his armored neck when he spoke suddenly.

"Guardian, why have you attacked me?" Jolting in shock, Warrior Star jerked her head back, staring down into light yellow optics that were flecked with gold near his irises. Still with one paw on his chest, she simply stared at him, too stunned to speak.

_How did he know I am a Guardian class femme?_ She wondered, twitching slightly when he touched his nose to her paw.

"I am no threat, Guardian. I am neutral, looking for asylum and peace. This is the planet called Earth, yes? The one where the battle for the All Spark was fought?" His voice was gentle and warm, flowing over her like water over stone as she shook her head slightly and snapped out of her stupor.

"Yes, this is Earth, and yes, that battle was fought here, but long ago. And you came to the wrong place for asylum, mech. Decepticons and Autobots both roam this place in force. Their war is being fought to this day." Warrior Star said softly, finally stepping back and allowing the mech to rise. She tensed when she heard crashing in the distance behind her, and she realized her brothers had arrived.

"Run, mech. My brothers are nearby. The pack motto tends to be 'kill first, ask no questions'. Hopefully you will find your peace…I am still searching for mine." She turned, intent on going to speak with her brothers, when his voice stopped her once more.

"Guardian, what is your designation?" She turned, staring at him from the corner of one optic thoughtfully, then she replied.

"I am Warrior Star. And you, mech?" Cobalt blue stared into yellow for a second, then a fleeting smile crossed his jaws, and he spoke.

"I am Breaksteel." Hearing the noise behind her growing louder by the second, she twisted to look back uneasily, then she faced him again.

"Breaksteel, then. Get out of here. I don't think I'll be able to stop them this time. Run while you can, and I wish you well. Now go. Run!" Warrior Star's voice was a snarl by the end, but Breaksteel wasn't there to hear it. He had already bolted into the trees and was gone.

Standing there calmly, Warrior Star stared at the trees where he had disappeared, not moving even as her brothers burst from the trees behind her and raced up to her.

_Why did I let him go?_ She wondered as Swiftpaw started nosing around the landing site, Keystone searching the area as Shadowfang looked at her suspiciously. She had no idea.

* * *

**A/N: Long time no update. Sorry 'bout that...Battle Song is starting to kick off, and with that one being much overdue for updates (and finishing, at that...) it is taking precedence over Always There. My apologies...but I knew that if this happened, Battle Song would be my focus. Trying to finish off those lingering stories that have been languishing for years. *facepalm* Anyway...**

**Short-ish chapter. And hello Breaksteel! I've been kicking his design around for a few weeks...just commissioned an artist to try drawing him. If it works out to my liking, I'll definitely post the link so that you guys can see what I imagine him as looking like. ^.^**

**To my dear reviewers, favoriters, readers, and followers, thank you for your readership! I see that most of my reviewers have followed me from The Wanderer...thanks guys! I love you all! *hugs***

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	4. Bad News

Shadowfang was puzzled, and he was uneasy. He and his brothers had erupted from the trees, expecting to see their massive, powerful sister standing over the offline frame of whatever mech had come crashing to Earth this time, but to his surprise, she was simply staring off into the trees. Keystone had immediately plunged into the opposing tree line as Swiftpaw went down into the crater where the mech had come to a halt, leaving Shadowfang with Warrior Star. He stared at her, flame red optics glittering as he tried to piece together what had happened in his processor, but it just didn't make sense.

All three of the brothers had felt it when Warrior Star had attacked the mech through the pack bond. They had felt her cold determination, a flicker of burning rage, and then a sense of loss and confusion that was so sharp that they had increased their speed out of fear for her safety. The fact that she had suffered no damage was a relief to Shadowfang, but _why_ she had let the mech go…that was what was bothering him the most.

"Warrior Star, what transpired here? Why did you let the intruder go?" The steel gray mech finally asked, his optics narrowed as he stared at his sister. The massive bronze femme stood motionless, her cobalt blue optics still trained on the trees where Keystone had vanished, then finally she turned to face him. A combination of confusion and wonder crossed her faceplates, then she spoke.

"He didn't fight. Claimed that he was a neutral seeking asylum. Said he was looking for peace. Just because I haven't found my peace doesn't give me the right to deprive another of his chance. I let him go for that reason alone." Warrior Star's voice, which had been so cold and emotionless of late, rang out like a resonant brass bell, deep and calm and wise. Shadowfang was so startled by the change that he took a step back, staring at her in astonishment.

_She hasn't spoken like that since she lost War Beast! She sounds…like herself again._ Lost in his thoughts, Shadowfang didn't react when Keystone appeared from the trees before trotting to where Warrior Star stood, still staring at her steel gray brother as the black mech halted at her side.

"That mech is long gone. But he is damaged…I could smell energon, faintly, and his stride was arrested, like he was running with a limp. Did you wound him, sister?" Keystone asked, his golden optics gleaming as Warrior Star turned to meet his gaze.

"No. He had a limp when I found him. I have to assume it was from the landing, either that or he was damaged before, wherever it is he came from. I did not damage him." Shadowfang saw that Keystone heard the difference in her voice as well, though his reaction was not as strong as Shadowfang's had been. But the feeling of wonder that flowed through the bond between them was unmistakable.

_You hear it too, brother? She sounds like her old self again._ Shadowfang whispered to Keystone, and he sensed the affirmation from the black mech before he replied just as softly.

_Yes, I hear it. Something about this mech is different. She's offlined a dozen neutrals before now…why let this one go? She has never cared before…_ Keystone's musing ended there, for Swiftpaw had returned from his inspection of the mech's landing site.

"This one had a rough landing. Went through a few trees and bounced off some big rocks before he came to a halt. I smelled energon near the landing pod. He's wounded…I could run him down before the sun rises if I left now." Swiftpaw said, flexing a sleek foreleg in preparation to run when Warrior Star's fierce optics flashed and she twisted to snarl at the smallest mech.

"No! Leave him be. Breaksteel is no threat, to us or the Autobots or the humans. He deserves a chance at life." Swiftpaw looked startled by her sharp order, but before he could question it, Moonflight dropped from the sky like a stone, landing almost silently at Warrior Star's side and folding his massive wings before he looked at the bronze femme.

"Warrior Star, I just got a message from the Autobots. William Lennox has been gravely injured, and they are requesting that you come immediately. They don't think he's going to survive." Shadowfang recoiled sharply at the Predacon's words, feeling his spark twist in his chest. Then he felt the shock, anger, and agony from Warrior Star, and he nearly caved on the spot.

_She has always been close to that human…Primus, we all have. He was with us through one of the most trying times the pack has known._ Shadowfang thought, staring at Warrior Star as she turned to stare at him and their optics met. He knew, without a doubt, what words were going to spill from his sister's jaws.

"We shall leave at once. Moonflight, let them know that we're coming immediately." The Predacon nodded, shooting into the sky a second later, then Warrior Star leaped forward, plunging into the trees with all three of her brothers right on her tail.

Shadowfang watched Warrior Star weave through the trees, missing them by inches as her massive paws sent dirt, leaves, and brush flying into the air. The night had already been long but it was not any closer to ending than it had been earlier, he couldn't help but remind himself. The journey to the Autobot base would be a long one, but Shadowfang paid that fact no heed. Will Lennox was injured. The pack had no other choice but to go.

Onward they raced, none of them aware of the fact that they were being trailed by a big storm gray mech with a limp in his stride, and pale yellow optics that glowed with curiosity, for the bronze femme fascinated him, and he was determined to figure out why.

* * *

**A/N: Well. Writer's block is a bitch. That and I've been quite busy...what time I have had to myself has disappeared so quickly that I can't seem to figure out where the hours have gone. I just know that they aren't there anymore.**

**Anyway! Long time no update, and for that, I do apologize. Hopefully I've defeated the particular block that stopped my story writing for the moment. But I do suppose that we'll see.**

**To my dear reviewers, readers, favoriters, and followers, thank you so much for your dedication to the story!**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	5. A Trap

Warrior Star's spark pulsed painfully in her chest as she ran, her intakes short as her processor raced.

_Lennox, injured? How? By whom? And why?_ She wondered distractedly as her long legs ate up the miles like they were nothing. Behind her, her three brothers raced along, keeping pace with her easily. She could sense the mess of emotions from Shadowfang, and she knew that he was suffering just as much as she was. Warrior Star reached through their bond, encasing his spark with her presence as she lent him her strength.

_Fear not, brother. We will see Lennox and he will recover. Then the ones responsible will die for what they have done._

* * *

_Do you think that the Guardians will take the bait?_ The ever annoying voice nagged into one of his sensitive audios. The mech being addressed bared his dentals in aggravation, barely able to bite back on the snarl that was rumbling deep in his massive chest as his dark optics narrowed. His sharp reply cut across the channel harshly, silencing every mech in his vicinity.

_Yes, you pit-spawned glitch. They come even as we speak._ With a sharp click, the mech cut the channel, a low growl rumbling through his frame as he tuned his scanners so that he could track the rapidly approaching signals. He stood quietly, the wind keening softly as it brushed across his scarred and dented armor, waiting with the patience of a hunter.

Behind him, a mech shuffled his feet, the sound of his armored feet grinding across stone making the smoke colored mech tense before he whirled soundlessly to face the other mech and his noisy feet.

"Be silent, you fools! Slagging Guardians they may be, but there is a reason these four survived when all the rest fell. They are the Guardians of legend, the spawn of Saber and Stardust. They are NOT to be taken lightly. Given even a small opening, they will offline us where we stand. They don't follow the Guardian code of non-confrontation with those they are tasked to guard. They haven't since their pit-spawned creators fell. We must be silent or they will kill us all." Satisfied that he had made his point, the mech turned to face the four signals that grew closer by the second.

_Soon, Guardian scum, you will all be dead, and I can finally rest._

* * *

Something was off. Keystone could sense it. Even as he ran with his sister and his brothers, he felt his hackles rising, unable to shake the intensifying feeling that unfriendly optics were watching his every move. Above, Moonflight flew in ever tightening circles, and the black mech knew that the Predacon sensed danger as well.

_Moonflight, what can you see?_ The Cybertronian wolf queried on a private channel, and the thunderbird made a long, slow pass before he replied, his dark red optics narrowed and searching.

_Nothing, Keystone. But I feel…watched. I haven't felt like this since I left the Decepticons. There is a great evil afoot, my friend, I just can't see it yet. Halt here and give me a little time…I will scout ahead and find the source._ The mighty Predacon pumped his wings, straightening in his path and shooting ahead as Keystone barked a command.

"Hold here! Moonflight is checking ahead." Almost as one, all four wolves slowed, Warrior Star's bronze armor gleaming in the waning moonlight as she turned and trotted back to Keystone with Shadowfang on her heels. Swiftpaw had stopped to snuffle around a bit, his gold armor reflecting as a dull brown in the dim light as he snooped around several feet away. Keystone turned his head, his golden optics flashing as Warrior Star halted in front of him, her cobalt blue optics burning with barely-controlled impatience.

"And why have we halted, brother? I sense the danger just as all of you do, but I would be surprised if the threat is something we four wolves, and Moonflight as well, cannot handle." The black mech twitched an ear, looking at his sister reproachfully as Shadowfang nudged her shoulder with his head gently.

"It never hurts to be too cautious, sister. Many strange things have happened recently…I cannot help but wonder if we are being led into some sort of trap." At the mention of the word 'trap', Swiftpaw perked his ears, his green optics glowing as he bounced up to Keystone's massive shoulder.

"A trap? You know, I could always run ahead, flush them out. It would be great fun!" He exclaimed, his entire body in motion until a sharp snarl from Warrior Star made him cringe away and lower himself to the ground.

"Up until a shot to a joint took out one of your legs, cublet! No…we will wait here, until Moonflight returns. That mech is quick on the wing…anything trying to take him out will have their work well cut out for them. But be warned, Keystone…I will not tarry long, not if Will Lennox's life is hanging in the balance." She turned, her optics growing distant with memories as the black mech advanced to her shoulder before turning his own optics to the sky.

"And if news of his injury is a lie? What then, Warrior Star?" Keystone asked, watching his sister's face from the corner of his optics. Slowly, her optics came back into focus, and she turned her head to meet his gaze straight-on.

"If indeed the report of Lennox being injured is false, and we are being led into a trap, then I promise you this, brother…the ones responsible for spreading such a heinous lie will die, as slowly and painfully as I can manage. No one, no mech or human or otherwise, shall be spared for testing my wrath. This I swear."

* * *

**A/N: Well this was a somewhat productive, very long weekend. Had a 24 hour duty day on Friday...was on duty from 0900 Friday morning to 0900 Saturday morning, then spent all day yesterday sleeping. Then I was a lazy slob today. About all I got done was my laundry, this chapter, and a few levels on some of my computer games. Wow. Lazy. Slob. XD**

**Got a handful of reviews for the last chapter, and I see that a few of my readers caught up from The Wanderer. Looks like my attempt at the ninja-sneaky posting of the sequel kinda blew up in my face. lol**

**Anyway! A still short-ish chapter. Haven't quite decided how to proceed from here...haven't figured out what to do with Breaksteel either. Hopefully I'll think of something. Quickly. lol**

**Thank you to my dear readers, reviewers, favoriters, and followers! You are all so amazingly patient! Thank you so much! ^.^**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	6. Steelbite

The cool pre-dawn air whistled softly through Moonflight's feathers as the big Predacon cut through the sky at just under the speed of sound. His dark red optics were narrowed, searching the terrain below him for any sign of the danger that he and his friends all sensed.

_Something's here, I'm sure of it._ He thought, before a slight blink from below caught his attention. He turned skillfully, his joints creaking slightly at the sharp angle with which he turned as he made another pass. He narrowed his optics even further, dropping his speed so that he could check the area a little more thoroughly. Then everything fell into chaos.

It all happened so fast that even the Predacon's optics couldn't track it. A slight movement off to his left made him turn his head; at the same time, something launched into the air directly below him, screaming towards him so fast that he had no time to react. The pain sensors in his chest and abdomen screamed as a spiked chain and ball slammed into him, wrapping around him swiftly, then the ball smashed to a halt and snapped his right wing. He plummeted from the sky, struggling to use his good wing to stay aloft as he opened an emergency channel with the pack.

"I'm hit, going down!" Was all Moonflight managed to get out before his broken wing gave out and the weight from his hobble dragged him face-first through the tree canopy, then he slammed into the dirt and loam of the forest floor. Despite his shock at having been downed, he managed to twist and use his talons to cut through one piece of his bindings. Rising swiftly to his feet, the Predacon shook himself loose, transforming as swiftly as he could as his attackers charged him from the shadows. His broken limb screamed but he drew his energon blade in spite of the pain, raising it swiftly enough to carve off the foreleg of a bear-like Cybertronian that leaped at him.

The beast screamed in pain as Moonflight turned seamlessly, his broken arm clasped tightly to the damaged armor of his chest as he put his weight behind his blade and sliced into another enemy that was in mid-spring, jaws wide and ready to crush his armor. This one fell silently, Moonflight's blade having taken off its lower jaw and half its head all in one cut. The Predacon was surrounded and he knew it, but he refused to back down, putting his faith in the four wolves that had become the family that he had yearned for his entire life.

_Warrior Star won't leave me to die. None of them will._ He thought, his blade singing through the air as energon splattered and the wounded screamed, filling the forest with the haunting sound of battle as the Predacon fought on.

* * *

Breaksteel had been following Warrior Star and her pack ever since she had let him go, his yearning for a peaceful life away from constant fighting and war being overpowered by something he had sensed from the massive bronze femme. She had known pain and loss and devastation, he could tell. From the look in her cobalt blue optics to the scars criss-crossing every plate of thick armor, Breaksteel knew that she was a fighter, loyal and dedicated to those she cared for, and merciless and lethal to those she called her enemies.

She was also a legend. He knew her designation. Every mech and femme that had been online since before the war began knew the bronze femme's designation. She was the kind of femme that stories were told about, the kind of femme that sparklings idolized, the kind of femme that legends were born from.

Warrior Star was the type of Guardian that made other Cybertronians remember why the class was both respected and feared, back in the days when peace was still real. Patient and kind, but powerful and deadly. Merciful to those she saved, merciless to those she punished. She was what the Guardians were always meant to be. Fearless and proud and wise. She was one of the last Guardians online, and it grieved Breaksteel immensely.

A sudden, sharp movement from the bronze femme in question brought Breaksteel's attention immediately. The femme had been standing quietly, but then her head shot up sharply, her cobalt blue optics widening with momentary surprise before narrowing with a deadly understanding. A snarl crossed her fearsome jaws, exposing every jagged, lethal silver dental, then she launched herself forward with a sharp, commanding bark that had her three brothers falling in line behind her immediately. They crashed forward into the trees, disappearing faster than most would believe possible, and Breaksteel charged forward in their wake.

Despite his injured leg, the storm gray mech was fast, and he managed to stay within a close enough distance to see the back runner, the huge black mech with gold optics. Breaksteel hoped that Warrior Star's brothers hadn't noticed him, but he really didn't care. Something was wrong, and he wanted to know what.

The sounds of battle echoed in the distance, and Breaksteel unconsciously increased his speed, feeling his spark sinking in his chest. He had come to Earth to escape the war, but he found himself right back in the middle of it. However, the scene that greeted his light yellow optics was enough to bring him slamming to a halt in shock.

A huge mech, the Predacon that Breaksteel had heard one of the wolves call Moonflight, was fighting valiantly against a group of mechs that the storm gray mech realized he recognized. The four wolves had already launched themselves into the fray, defending the injured Predacon with paws, jaws, and claws. But it wasn't the realization that he knew the mechs battling in front of him that had Breaksteel frozen in shock; it was something else.

At the edge of the battle, a big, dark mech prowled silently, his near-black optics focused wholly on Warrior Star, where she battled alongside her brothers. He stepped into the golden rays of the slowly rising sun, the light exposing dents and scars all across his huge frame as his serrated dentals gleamed with a deadly brilliance in the rising light. Huge paws with long black claws dug into the dirt beneath him as every powerful step moved him closer and closer to his target. His smoke colored armor flashed in the light, and every mech before him scrambled to get out of his way. It was the look in those strange dark optics, the sheer murderous intent and a sick sort of joy, that finally galvanized Breaksteel into moving.

Injury reports and system warnings disappeared from his processor. His pain was gone as he charged forward faster than he ever had before, feeling a towering rage building in his spark until all conscious thought was gone. The roar that erupted from his jaws brought the battle before him to a screeching halt, and every optic turned to him as he snapped his jaws closed on the dark mech's muzzle before twisting to fling him across the clearing. The other mech smashed to a halt after breaking through several trees, but regained his feet swiftly and with a practiced ease that had Breaksteel snarling in anger. But what shocked him the most was the dark laughter that left the other mech's mighty chest.

"Hahaha, I was wondering when you'd show up. You've always been such a do-gooder. Sitting outside, playing and just generally being irresponsible, while mechs like me and my gang struggled and died in the mines. You always were mother's favorite. Spoiled and cared for…little brother." Breaksteel's anger only grew at the dark mech's words, and he stepped forward slowly and with murderous intent, his light yellow optics glittering with fury as he snarled his response.

"At least I didn't take my rage out on the whole world when my dreams didn't work out the way I wanted. You always wanted to be a Guardian so bad, but they saw beyond your façade. They saw your rage and your sick love of inflicting pain on others. They knew you weren't worthy. It's your own fault you ended up in the mines with the rest of the ruffians. All I longed for was peace, but no. The war was unavoidable. You used the war as an excuse. I know what you've done. I'm your brother, we still have that bond, even if it is stretched. You're a murderer. You were the one that killed the two most legendary Guardians Cybertron had ever known. And I wonder if you've been paying enough attention to realize exactly who these four wolves are…because they are the creations of Saber and Stardust. You killed their creators. You're the one they've been searching for the whole time." With each word he spoke, Breaksteel took a step, forcing the dark mech backwards in circles all around the clearing. And with each word, the storm gray mech could sense the anger of the four Guardians behind him growing. And the moment he revealed that his brother had killed Warrior Star's creators, he sensed something in the bronze femme snap. She advanced slowly, until she stood shoulder to shoulder with him, glaring at the dark mech across from her as she softly growled a question to him.

"Breaksteel, tell me one thing. Tell me the designation of this mech, so that I can curse his name when I send him to the pits for killing my creators." Warrior Star's voice was trembling with rage, and her cobalt blue optics were fixed on the dark mech with a pained wrath that Breaksteel understood all too well. He lowered his head, turning to look at her as he spoke, knowing that the second he did, she'd charge.

"Steelbite. His designation is Steelbite."

* * *

**A/N: Blah. Late chapter. Like real late. Been a busy few weeks...training, training, and more training. Phew. I'm tired. lol**

**In all honestly, I hate Breaksteel's little speech. Just doesn't feel right to me. But I can't think of a better way to write it and I wanna post this since I haven't posted anything in forever. I'll have to live with it.**

**To my lovely reviewers and readers and favoriters and followers, ya'll are such an inspiration for me! Thank you all so much! :)**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	7. Saber's Last Stand

_Steelbite…_ The name rang through Warrior Star's processor, bouncing and echoing off the inside of her skull like an endless, crashing wave. From deep in the darkness that was her past, a memory emerged, slamming to the forefront of her thoughts with so much force that the femme nearly staggered, her massive head lowering and her optics flickering offline as she relived a memory that was not her own.

The air changed around her, the smell as familiar as it was painful as Warrior Star onlined her optics and looked around. Thick dark smoke clogged the air, making each intake pained and harsh as the landscape spread out in front of her massive paws. Her spark clenched in her chest when she realized where she was.

Warrior Star was standing on the outskirts of the capitol of Cybertron, on the border of where a once peaceful civilization bled away into the mines where so many mechs and femmes had struggled and died to provide for those they loved. In front of her stood over a dozen mechs, big, scarred, and covered in energon. Some were bi-ped and, some were on four paws, a scattered, rag-tag mix of mechs that made her curl her lip plates uneasily, baring her massive dentals.

_Miners._ She thought, staring at the mechs that were beastlike in build, studying the marks from where the harnesses had cut into their thick armor. The bi-ped mechs had no such marks, but she could see scarring on shoulder joints on the closer ones. The beasts had hauled the mining carts, and the bi-peds had mined the stone and ore.

None of them had noticed her, and she finally turned her head to see what the lot of them were staring at. At the far end of the battlefield, his frame mostly hidden in the thick smoke, a giant of a mech stood fearlessly, his ice blue optics glittering with anger as he stood over a downed femme. His head was low, energon dripping from his parted jaws as he panted harshly, even more of the vital fluid streaming from wounds all over his heavily armored frame. Even in the chaos and the smoke and the darkness, Warrior Star recognized him instantly.

_Saber…my…mech creator…_ Reeling with shock, her cobalt blue optics dropped to the femme sprawled limply on the energon-soaked dirt behind Saber, and her spark seized with dread when she was able to see the glimmer of silver armor through the haze.

_Mother…Stardust…_ Even from the distance she was at, Warrior Star knew by instinct alone that the silver femme was already offline, but her sparkmate stood over her anyway, determined to protect his bonded to the very end.

Warrior Star was ripped from her thoughts when a big mech stepped from the shadows, prowling through the ranks as the pack of mechs in front of her fell back to let him pass. His strange dark optics blazed with a combination of twisted joy and murderous hate that had the bronze femme yearning to rip his spark from his chest and crush it in her jaws. He bared lethal serrated dentals, already coated and glowing with energon. His smoke colored armor was dented and scratched and stained, energon and dirt mixed all over his frame, but she still recognized him instantly.

"Steelbite." Warrior Star snarled, only to realize that Saber had spoken at exactly the same moment as she had, snarling the other mech's name as well. The dark mech stopped and raised his head, his optics glittering coldly as he bared his fangs in a deadly grin.

"Saber. I have waited a long time for this day. Pity Stardust isn't online…I really wanted her to watch you die. You stole _everything_ from me, my hopes, my dreams…and the affection of the only femme I've ever loved. She was supposed to be _mine_. Then you came along, and just like that…she was gone, out of my reach. For _years_ I have watched you, waiting for this very moment, so I could repay you for all the misery you heaped on me over the years. I hope you said goodbye to those creations of yours before you came here…because I'm going to tear your spark out and crush it in my claws." Steelbite advanced, only to freeze when a rumbling snarl tore through the air between him and Saber, the huge white mech broadening his stance before uttering his response.

"You were unworthy, Steelbite. You always have been. Your anger and love for inflicting pain marked you long before I came to this place. You were only fit for the lowest of manual labor, and you _certainly_ did not deserve the affection and companionship of a gentle, loving femme like Stardust. Her choice was made based on what _she_ wanted in a sparkmate, not on what a potential suitor wanted from her. She chose with her spark, and in the end, her spark chose me. Get over it, mech. That was far in the past, and she's gone now, thanks to you. You may have lost her to me long ago, but _you_ lost her permanently the second she offlined. And I'm going to make you pay for that, in the most painful way possible. And even if I can't offline you today, I promise you this. Someday, one or all of my creations will find you, and they will _end_ you." Saber was shaking with rage by the time he finished speaking, and the two mechs glared at one another for a long moment before they each launched into the air.

The whole scene faded in front of Warrior Star a hairs-breadth before the mechs made contact, and she came back to reality and raised her head, her cobalt blue optics blazing with wrath as she stared at Steelbite coldly. Next to her, Breaksteel was watching her uneasily, his light yellow optics flickering as she took one slow step forward, her massive black claws sinking deep into the dirt as she bared her fangs in a silent snarl.

Unaware of what had just happened, Warrior Star's brothers fell back and regrouped around Moonflight, the four siblings facing Steelbite and his gang fearlessly as the wounded mech watched the movements of those around him warily. It was Warrior Star that broke the tense silence, her voice low and grinding and filled with a murderous rage that made every mech present tremble.

"You…killed them…both of them. I _saw_ it. My mech creator's memories survived. So did his words…and yours. Saber was right…you were unworthy of everything you sought. And he was right about another thing…we found you. My brothers and I, we _found_ you. And now we'll _end_ you." Across from her, Steelbite's optics widened to almost comical proportions as she let loose with an unearthly howl, and launched herself at him.

* * *

**A/N: Been working on the notes for this chapter for a week...I should really be in bed now but started working on typing them up, and slag me, I just couldn't stop. So here's one quick, short filler chapter for ya'll. A little more history on Steelbite...turns out it wasn't just the Guardians he hated. Who'd a thunk it?**

**Thank you to my loyal readers and reviewers and followers! Ya'll are amazing!**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	8. Fallen

Breaksteel felt his jaw drop open when the bronze femme moved. One moment, she was still at his side, snarling her rage at his brother, and then she was in midair, jaws wide and ready to tear Steelbite down. She hit the dark mech with the force of a freight train, bowling him over and sending them both rolling as every other mech present exploded into action. The black mech with golden optics shot past him, slamming into one of Steelbite's mechs as he tried to strike at the bronze femme. A wild laugh erupted from somewhere behind him, and Breaksteel turned in time to see the small, lean gold mech chase a spooked Beastbot off the field, his green optics gleaming with excitement and the love of the hunt. From nowhere came the massive steel-gray mech with flame red optics, leaping high to rip down a mech that had transformed into an aerial alternate and tried to flee. And even the mech Moonflight was causing havoc, not letting his shattered arm slow him down as his energon blade gleamed and danced, separating enemies from their body parts as they fell screaming around him.

Suddenly Breaksteel was struck from behind, sending him staggering to the side as a massive sword sliced into the armor of his shoulder. Twisting sharply with a pained snarl, the storm-gray mech spun to face his attacker, putting his uninjured side towards his opponent. He found himself facing a bi-ped mech with hellfire red optics and heavily scarred, ugly brown armor.

"Traitor!" The mech yelled at him, then he leaped, his blade positioned to run him through. Breaksteel fell back a step, turning neatly despite his injured shoulder, and lashed out with a massive forepaw, slamming the mech's sword down and pinning it against the ground. Unable to stop his forward momentum, the mech staggered forward with a shocked cry, the blade snapping under the pressure, and then he fell. Breaksteel turned to finish the mech, his jaws spread wide, when a sudden yelp echoed across the battlefield, and he tensed uneasily. He froze with one paw still in the air when a horrific screech followed, and then he spun to find the source. His yellow optics swiftly scanned the field before falling on one of the femme's brothers. Across the battlefield, Warrior Star spun as well, her cobalt blue optics searching, and then they fell upon her brother. Her optics widened, and she let loose with a horrified scream that cut through the air like a fiery blade.

"Swiftpaw!" The golden wolf was down, his green optics wide and filled with a searing agony as two bear-like mechs worked feverishly to tear him apart. One of his hind legs was useless, a skilled cannon blast having ripped into his hip and leaving the joint shattered beyond repair. Breaksteel stared for just a moment, then found himself in motion. The massive storm-gray mech tore across the field faster than even he thought possible, and then he was on the enemy mechs, paws, claws, and jaws ripping into them with a fury that he didn't even know he possessed.

The startled cries of both mechs brought the entire field to a standstill as Breaksteel's jaws severed cables and energon lines and his claws tore through armor like a hot knife through butter. His attack was so ferocious that he drove them both back all the way to the treeline, where he locked his jaws into the throat of one and ripped the helm off the other. Ending the first with a stunning, crushing bite that left the enemy's head hanging onto his torso by a mere few cables, he turned and reared onto his hind legs, slamming his forepaws down onto the other mech's back and snapping his spine. Before the mech's agonized screech could even fully leave his throat, Breaksteel's huge forepaw smashed down on the mech's face, shattering his skull and leaving his processor in pieces.

Slowly the massive beast-mech turned, his yellow optics glowing with a mad light that made even his brother cower in fear. Sweeping his optics across the field, Breaksteel's gaze lingered on Warrior Star, Moonflight, and the rest of the pack where they gathered around the downed gold mech, then he let his gaze go to Steelbite. Bounding forward several strides until he stood between Warrior Star and the enemy, Breaksteel lowered his head, then spread his jaws wide and let loose with a guttural roar that sent the mechs still able to move and online running for their lives.

The storm gray mech watched them run, then a whimper from behind made him turn to face Warrior Star and her pack. With the exception of the bronze femme, most of them watched him uneasily as he slowly approached, and the big gray mech with flame red optics snarled warningly when Breaksteel lowered his head to examine the gold mech's injuries.

"Shadowfang. This mech is not our enemy. If he were, he would have left Swiftpaw at the mercy of the enemy." Warrior Star's voice was soft, her cobalt blue optics sad as she lowered her head and gently touched her nose to Swiftpaw's cheek. The mech was whimpering in spite of his best efforts, his energon spread across the dirt and pooling around him as his family crowded around him in an effort to bring the mortally wounded mech comfort. Even Breaksteel knew that the wolf was bleeding to death. There was nothing any of them could do to save him. Slowly, the storm-gray mech stepped to where Swiftpaw could look at him, and he waited until the mech's forest green optics locked onto him, then he spoke.

"I am sorry, mech, for not reaching the enemy sooner. I am sorry that you and your family are suffering for my brother's anger and his arrogance. And I am sorry that Steelbite has once again spilled the energon of another innocent being. He will rot in the Pit for what he has done; I swear it. Even if I offline trying, I will see to it that he will suffer for what he has done." Swiftpaw's optics stayed on his the entire time he spoke, and Breaksteel tensed when he saw the light of the mech's optics fading. He stepped back in deference to the mech's siblings and his friend, watching with sorrow in his spark as the other three wolves crowded around Swiftpaw. Warrior Star pressed her face into his chest as Shadowfang laid at his brother's side and leaned into him. The big black mech sat and reached out with a huge paw, laying it over the top of his brother's as Moonflight knelt in front of the dying mech and gently placed a hand on his head, scratching lightly at the gold wolf's ears.

Breaksteel sat down, lowering his head as one by one, Swiftpaw's systems started shutting down, and then the light of his optics flickered and died. All was still and silent for several seconds, and then Warrior Star slowly raised her head, taking a step back, and then she raised her nose to the sky and she howled.

* * *

**A/N: So. Been one of those sprees where either I can't find the time to write, or the muse took a vacation, or a combination of both. I'm so sorry. :( Hopefully now that I got this chapter finished, the rest will flow a little easier.**

**Yeah. I killed Swiftpaw. I loved the little guy, I really did. He was really fun to write, so energetic, so silly. Unfortunately it was starting to get too hard to track all the separate personalities in my head. That and there's nothing like the bitter taste of loss to fuel vengeance. Warrior Star's gonna rip someone apart later.**

**Anyway! To my lovely reviewers and favoriters and followers, you peeps are awesome! And to Repenned, good catch on my slip in Chapter Five. Yes, Steelbite knows that Warrior Star and her brothers are Saber and Stardust's creations, I just totally wrote that wrong. And the whole Lennox thing will be put to rest in the next chapter (or two). Appreciate the thoughtful review! :)**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...  
**

**Kani**


	9. One Step At A Time

_I have failed him. I swore I would always protect him from harm…I promised I would never leave him to fight alone. I failed._ Warrior Star thought as she lay near her slain brother. Swiftpaw's frame had long since grown cold, but the bronze femme couldn't bear the thought of dragging her youngest brother's body home. Somewhere deep in her spark, there was the futile hope that he was merely in stasis so that his frame could recover from the trauma it had endured, but the cold hard facts were staring her right in the face. The ground was drenched in Swiftpaw's energon, which was still glowing faintly hours after the mech's spark had stopped spinning in his chest. His frame, which had always hummed with life and energy from the moment he had been sparked, was still and silent. He was gone.

Somewhere nearby, Warrior Star heard Keystone and Shadowfang conversing softly about something, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Across from her, Moonflight stood staring at her with sorrow in his dark red optics, and behind him, the strange mech Breaksteel sat watching as well, his light yellow optics dim and remorseful. The mech had tried, she realized, he had tried to save Swiftpaw. He just hadn't been fast enough.

"Warrior Star." Shadowfang's voice echoed from above her. She wondered how he had gotten so close without her noticing, then she realized she didn't really care about that either.

"Sister." His voice closer now, low and intense. Warrior Star could feel the heat of his frame, he was so close. She raised her head, she wasn't exactly sure why, and turned to look into her brother's flame red optics. His gaze was intense, and it grew dark when he saw the look in her optics. He reached through the bond to touch her broken spark, and immediately she recoiled, not wanting him to feel the agony she was in. He narrowed his optics, taking a half step closer, so that their noses were nearly touching.

"I know, sister. I know. But we have to get him on the sled. We have to go to the Autobot base. We still don't know if William Lennox is all right." Warrior Star blinked, feeling her processor and her spark both jolt in cold shock when she remembered the report of Lennox being injured. Slowly she brought herself to her feet, stepping aside so that Keystone and Shadowfang could gently drag Swiftpaw's frame onto the sled that Keystone always used.

As she watched, Moonflight approached, still clasping his injured arm to his chest. He stood at her side for a moment, then reached to gently run his uninjured hand down her back. She leaned into him, taking comfort in his presence, then she stepped away as Keystone hooked up to the sled and began the slow process of dragging it through the forest. She waited until Keystone and Shadowfang had passed, then nudged Moonflight forward as well. Taking up the rear of the formation, the bronze femme moved slowly, pausing momentarily next to Breaksteel where he stood watching them.

Surprising the mech, and herself, Warrior Star turned to him, lowering her head and pressing her face into the side of his neck. She felt him tense but didn't take it personally, knowing she had startled him, then she spoke.

"Thank you for trying to save my brother. None of us could have reached him in time. And thank you for what you said…I think it made Swiftpaw's passing a little easier, knowing that you were sorry for what your brother had done." Warrior Star stepped away and raised her head, meeting the mech's gaze for just a moment, then she walked on, leaving him staring in her wake.

* * *

Breaksteel was stunned. She had thanked him. The mysterious, enchanting bronze femme had thanked him. But what had him even more amazed was what she had done. He had nearly jumped out of his armor when she had pressed her scarred helm into his neck, and his spark had frozen in his chest. Then it had heated and started to spin so fast that he thought he was going to glitch on the spot.

_She was so…warm._ He couldn't get over how _warm_ her armor had been where she had touched him. What also had him at a loss was how nice it had been, having the femme press her face into his neck. He would have gladly let her lean into the thick armor of his side, if only she would have stayed there a little longer.

Watching her walk away, he felt his spark jolt slightly. He couldn't just let her walk away. He had nowhere else to go anyway…

_Slag. Why not? May as well tag along…need to get my shoulder fixed anyway. And my leg._ Breaksteel thought, stepping out and following right behind the bronze femme's tail as it flicked back and forth in time with her strides. He was limping, but the pain barely registered to him. His spark sang as he grew closer to Warrior Star, and he decided to take a gamble.

Extending his stride slightly, he drew abreast of the bronze femme, looking at her questioningly as she eyed him from the corner of her cobalt blue optics. Seeing no hostility in her gaze, he set his strides in time with hers, perfectly content to walk at her side as long as she would allow it.

_Sparkling steps. Sparkling steps,_ he thought as Moonflight turned his head to study the storm-gray mech, his dark red optics curious but not unfriendly. Breaksteel nodded at the tall, lean mech, and the Predacon nodded back before looking forward again.

_So far so good. Better not push my luck though…I'll just stick with tagging along for now._ Breaksteel thought as they broke out of the forest and into the sunlight.

Somewhere in his spark, Breaksteel searched for the long dormant bond with his brother, tensing slightly when he found it, but he went ahead and tugged at it anyway, just long enough to send a warning.

_You are going to regret what you did today, Steelbite. Even if I have to hunt you to the ends of the universe, I will make you pay for the pain you caused. I swear it._ Then, before Steelbite could reply, Breaksteel slammed down on the bond with enough force to sever it. He nearly staggered at the sudden loss, his spark screaming, but then he remembered watching as the golden wolf's green optics had flickered and died.

_One step at a time,_ he thought. And so the pack continued their slow journey to the Autobot base, three Cybertronian wolves, one Predacon, and one beast of a mech that no one could name.

* * *

**A/N: So. Muse is back. Working muse means happy me, happy me means happy you. :)**

**Wanted a little fluff between Breaksteel and Warrior Star. Not much, just a little. I think I achieved that quite nicely. I also liked the little 'confrontation' between Breaksteel and Steelbite. That was fun to write. :)**

**To my dear reviewers and loyal followers and readers, thank you as always for your continued attention to the story and for your patience!**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	10. A Sorrowful Return

The journey was long and slow. Every stride was measured, and each step was taken with great care. Keystone was weary to his frame, the injuries he had suffered in battle were aching, and the straps from the sled he dragged were digging into his massive shoulders. But he kept moving, the thought of his little brother's cold, dead frame lying on the sled he bore keeping his complaints silent and unheard.

Ahead of him, Shadowfang's massive steel-gray frame gleamed in the sunlight, highlighting damaged armor plates and faintly glowing energon, both his and that of the enemies he had slain that morning. Keystone's second brother moved quietly and calmly, but underneath the mask, his grief and rage roiled in his spark and made the black mech tremble slightly. Shadowfang was a hairs-breadth from exploding into an all-out fury, and Keystone knew it.

Moonflight was quietly walking along at the black mech's side, his broken arm clamped tightly to his chest to keep it from moving too much. Despite the injury, the Predacon marched steadily along without complaint, his dark red optics distant and sad. Every once in awhile, the golden brown mech's attention would turn to the final two Cybertronians in the company, and Keystone didn't miss the curiosity in Moonflight's optics, which was beginning to rival his own.

Warrior Star walked along silently behind Moonflight, with the strange smoke-gray mech Breaksteel limping along at her side. Keystone's processor turned to the mech immediately, and he couldn't help but wonder at so many things.

_This neutral, the one whose brother killed our creators, is different. Somehow he is different…why else would sister spare him? He defended us, we who have threatened his life from the moment he landed here. He fought his own brother and slew mechs that he had been sparked and raised with…why?_ Keystone thought, his gold optics focusing on the mech for a moment before he looked forward again. Breaksteel's presence raised so many questions, but very few answers. He made the black mech a little uneasy, and not only him. Shadowfang's suspicion of the massive beast-mech was plainly clear, but what troubled both brothers the most was Warrior Star's calm acceptance of Breaksteel.

_Thinking about our guest too, Keystone?_ Shadowfang's voice whispered softly to the black mech through their bond, and Keystone tugged lightly at his brother's spark before quietly responding.

_I am, brother. He makes me uneasy. He is a force to be reckoned with…his performance on the battlefield says as much. But his behavior is what has me the most puzzled, and the most concerned. Why turn on the mechs he has known and was raised with, for us, we who have threatened his existence since his arrival? It does not make sense, and I don't like it._ Shadowfang was quiet, pondering his eldest sibling's words, but before he could reply, Moonflight's deep voice broke the silence.

"There's the Autobot base. Only a little bit more and we're there." Keystone didn't see it but he felt the shock that jolted through Breaksteel when the mech's gaze fell on the massive buildings that grew closer with every stride.

"Moonflight, open a channel with Optimus and let him know that we will be coming through the gate shortly. I would rather not have them try and shoot any of us as we approach." Warrior Star's voice was quiet but Keystone still heard her clearly. A distant rumble split the still air, and a cloud of dust appeared, heading towards them rapidly. Shadowfang stopped with a snort, a snarl curling across his face, then he spoke scornfully.

"Too late, sister. Here they come." Keystone halted as well, shaking loose from his harness and broadening his stance as Moonflight squared his shoulders, his dark red optics narrowed and cold. A snarl ripped through the air, and Warrior Star leaped forward, bounding over Keystone to land next to Shadowfang as the first of the Autobots appeared out of the dust.

"Stay back, Breaksteel." Moonflight warned as Warrior Star took one pace forward, paused, then launched into the air, her massive forepaws striking the lead Autobot in the chest as the mech transformed. She slammed him down onto his back, baring lethal serrated dentals right in his face as the remainder of the Autobots screeched to a halt in shock.

"Make one false move, Autobot, and I'll rip out your spark. Where is Optimus?" Warrior Star snarled, glaring down at the mech until the sound of a mech transforming reached her audios. She raised her head, staring at the mech as he stood at his full height, his red and blue armor gleaming proudly as his blue optics stared down at her warily.

"Warrior Star. What brings you here?" The huge Prime asked as she stepped down from the mech she had tackled, letting him scramble to his feet as she walked up to the Autobot leader.

"An unexpected visitor, several injuries. And Swiftpaw…has been slain." The bronze femme stated, stumbling over her words slightly when she mentioned Swiftpaw's name. Optimus's optics widened in shock, and his gaze swept over them all before pausing when his gaze fell on the golden mech's energon-soaked frame. His optics returned to hers, then he asked the question that they were all expecting.

"What happened?" Warrior Star turned, her gaze searching until she found Breaksteel, then she beckoned the smoke-gray mech forward.

"This mech landed early this morning. We tracked him up until news reached Moonflight that William Lennox had been injured. We started this way, then ran into a pack of mechs that seem to have a long-standing grudge against Guardian-class Cybertronians, and my creators as well. In the ensuing battle, Swiftpaw was killed and the rest of us injured. Those enemy mechs left online fled, and we came here. I would like to request that Ratchet repair us, and that Ironhide prepare Swiftpaw for his final rites. That and I would like to see Will personally…we heard his injuries were grave." The silence that fell when Warrior Star finished was nothing short of suffocating, and when Optimus next spoke, his words were cautious and carefully chosen.

"William Lennox is fine, Warrior Star. I know not where you received the report of him being injured but I assure you, such is not the case. As for Swiftpaw, I will see to it personally that he is taken to Ironhide. He was a good mech and deserves nothing less than our best efforts. The rest of you can report to Med-Bay. I'll have Ratchet informed to expect you all." With that, the big red and blue mech turned away and transformed. Once the Autobots had turned and started back towards the base, Warrior Star started walking again, pausing momentarily as Keystone got back into his harness, then she slowly led the way with Breaksteel at her side.

As they walked, the bronze femme pondered over what the Prime had said, especially the news that Will Lennox was alive and perfectly fine.

_So we were right…that was an elaborately planned trap that we raced straight into. And Swiftpaw paid for my foolishness with his life._ Shaking her head slightly, Warrior Star's cobalt blue optics flashed as she passed through the gate, barely suppressing a chuckle at the expressions on the faces of the humans there. She had never seen them before, so she assumed they were new and that no one had ever told them about her and the pack.

The procession paused at Ironhide's workshop long enough for the battle-scarred old weapons' specialist to murmur his condolences to them all before he gently dragged Swiftpaw's body inside to begin his sad task.

Their journey finally ended when they reached the massive Med-Bay doors, which were already open. Waiting with a scowl on his face was none other than Ratchet, the Chief Medical Officer of the Autobots.

"Good to see you, Ratchet. I assume Optimus told you we were coming?" Warrior Star called, pausing to let Keystone, Shadowfang, and Moonflight make their way inside as the old medic glared at her through icy blue optics.

"Warrior Star. What have I told you about you and your pack and my Med-Bay? This is why I hate having you around. You're always in here." The bronze femme snorted as Ratchet's attention turned to Breaksteel, the mech lingering quietly at Warrior Star's side. His optics narrowed thoughtfully, then he spoke again.

"And who is this? Another lost waif you have taken into your merry band of misfits?" Warrior Star barked out a laugh, turning to gently press her helm into Breaksteel's shoulder as she nudged the mech inside the Med-Bay.

"Something of the sort. At least we fared better than my little brother. He is with Ironhide now...I promised I'd never bury any of my brothers. Some slagging scum-sucking mech made me a liar. I'm going to make him pay for that." She snarled softly, and instantly Ratchet's gaze grew sad.

"Yes, I heard…I am sorry for your loss, Warrior Star. Come, let's get you all settled and figure out the damage." The bronze femme nodded, taking one step before halting when a hauntingly familiar voice reached her audios. She turned instantly, her optics searching, then they grew soft when they fell on the one that had hailed her.

"Warrior Star! You came back!" Oily tears filled the bronze femme's cobalt blue optics, and she lowered her huge head as Will Lennox ran up to her, throwing his arms around her muzzle and hugging as tightly as he could.

Breaksteel turned to watch their reunion from where he stood just inside the Med-Bay's doors, and Ratchet paused next to him, his optics on the human and the femme as well. Without taking his gaze away, Ratchet spoke, making the smoke-gray mech's ears twitch slightly in surprise.

"Those two have always been close, you see. Will was the one that tamed Warrior Star, not us. She came to us as bitter and broken as any Cybertronian I have ever seen, but that human helped her to heal. She's always been grateful to him for it. Come, mech. Let's get you on a berth so I can figure out where to start." With that, Ratchet turned and walked inside, but Breaksteel found that he couldn't move. He was captivated by the femme's gentleness with the little human, and he couldn't help but wonder _how_ the human had 'tamed' Warrior Star, as Ratchet had put it.

The bronze femme finally turned to enter the Med-Bay, the little human sitting on her nose, and Breaksteel felt his spark stop in his chest when he saw the look in her optics. It was a combination of deep affection and trust and relief, and it all disappeared the second her optics fell on his. His spark squeezed painfully in response, and then she walked by him, the warmth of her frame there and gone again before he could even move. He stared after her, wondering stupidly at what was going on with him, then he moved when Ratchet snapped at him and pointed him to a berth.

_That femme is a mystery. An absolute mystery._ Breaksteel thought as he settled on the indicated berth, shuttering his optics as a mech with blue armor came to his side and started removing his armor. He faded into recharge before the first plate could even be removed.

* * *

**A/N: So. One very long week under my belt. One very long chapter to make up for it. This one is kind of a mess in my opinion but eh...muse was feeling tricky.**

**To all my wonderful readers and reviewers, you guys are awesome! A lot of reviews piled up over the last couple chapters; you guys made my day! Lots of new favorites and follows too; thanks so much!**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	11. Instinct

Warrior Star lay quietly on a berth, her cobalt blue optics dim and unfocused as Ratchet worked diligently to repair the damage to her massive frame. Several of her armor plates had been removed, and she looked at them as she offhandedly counted the new scratches, dents, and breaks in the plates.

_Ironhide will need to repair my armor,_ she thought, then her optics drifted to Will Lennox, where he was still sprawled comfortably on her muzzle. Her optics softened as she studied the human, who was currently dozing, his lean frame relaxed and still as his chest rose and fell gently with every breath he took.

_Will…it is so good to see you again, my dear old friend. You have no idea how relieved I was when I was informed that you were unharmed and that the report we had received of you being injured was false. You have no idea how overjoyed I was, just hearing your voice again after the long years since I saw you last._ Ratchet took note of the deep affection glowing in the femme's optics, and he smiled at her as he continued his work.

"You really missed him, didn't you, femme?" The old medic asked softly as his optics went back to the repairs he was working on. Warrior Star's ears twitched slightly, and a soft hum left her chest before she responded.

"Yes I did, mech. He was the first human I ever met after I landed here, and in spite of the way the Autobots treated me, he still trusted me. He didn't judge me, even after hearing about my past. And he was there when I lost Shadowfang and War Beast. He is the best friend I have ever had." The bronze femme's voice was quiet, and she kept her optics trained on Will as Ratchet paused for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face, and then he asked a question that she had been expecting for quite some time.

"What about that neutral you brought here? I know for a fact you've offlined every other neutral that has landed in your area over the last five years. What is so different about this mech?" The old medic's senses were still sharp, and he didn't miss the way her optics darkened at the mention of the storm gray mech, nor did he miss how her gaze traveled to said mech where he was sprawled on a berth nearby, deep in recharge as Jolt worked on his damaged leg.

"In all honesty, Ratchet…I do not know. I was set to sink my fangs into his throat and end him…and then he spoke. He asked why I attacked him, why a Guardian class femme was attacking him. He said he was looking for peace…and I don't know. Something made me step back and let him go. And then we were attacked by the mech called Steelbite and the mechs that follow him…and he came back. He came back and attacked Steelbite. He defended me. And he was the one that killed the two mechs responsible for offlining Swiftpaw. And he said…he was sorry. He was sorry for what Steelbite had done. Then he followed us here…and that's it." Though the femme was speaking softly, her voice echoed in the quiet of the Med Bay, and every mech and femme present quieted in their conversations to hear the story of the strange mech in their midst.

"What's his designation?" Jolt's voice split the silence that had fallen, and everyone paused to listen as Warrior Star sat quietly for just a moment, and then she spoke, her voice ringing out like a great bronze bell.

"Breaksteel. His designation is Breaksteel."

* * *

Breaksteel slowly came out of recharge to the sound of voices, his processor cycling slowly as each of his systems rebooted and came fully online. He wasn't really paying attention to anything that was being said until a warm, confident, and familiar voice said his name.

"Breaksteel. His designation is Breaksteel." _Warrior Star,_ he thought, keeping quiet and still as the blue mech continued working on his damaged leg.

_Why are they talking about me?_ Breaksteel wondered, but he didn't have time to really think about it too much before the Med Bay door rolled open. Out of habit, the storm gray mech onlined his optics and raised his head, the medic working on his leg jumping slightly in alarm as Breaksteel's optics focused on him momentarily, then drifted to look over his shoulder at whomever was entering the bay.

It was a mech, a huge black bi-ped with ice blue optics, his hulking frame hunched slightly and covered in scars as he lumbered towards Warrior Star where the bronze femme lay quietly on another berth nearby. Breaksteel jolted when a sudden surge of aggression roared through his frame, and almost before he could process it, he was on his feet and snarling, his light yellow optics hard as diamonds and glowering dangerously as his massive dentals gleamed in the light. The medic working on his leg fell on his aft plates with a cry of shock, and every optic in the room fell on him. Breaksteel crouched, his entire frame tensing in preparation to leap when suddenly, a huge paw smashed across his face and sent him tumbling from the berth.

Breaksteel hit the concrete floor hard enough to shake the building, but before he could regain his feet, the same paw smashed down on his chest and pinned him to the ground. He shook his head, clearing the stars from his processor, and looked up, finding himself staring into a pair of flame-red optics that were gleaming with a hellish light. It was the steel gray mech that was Warrior Star's second brother, and the mech's massive dentals were bared in anger. Breaksteel was fully prepared to feel the other mech's jaws close on him when a sharp bark cut across the tense silence.

"Shadowfang! Enough. Get off of him." The massive mech tensed, his optics drifting to the side for a moment, and then he stepped back, removing his weight from Breaksteel's chest. He went to get back to his feet then froze when the bronze femme leaped suddenly, clearing her brother by feet, and landed almost squarely on top of him. His light yellow optics widened in shock as Warrior Star's jaws snapped shut mere inches from his optics, then she lowered her head, glaring at him with cobalt blue optics that burned with rage.

"You have fifteen seconds to explain yourself, mech. I suggest you speak quickly or my brother's wrath will be the least of your fears." Her voice was low and her jaws were ground together so tightly that the gears in her face creaked ominously under the strain. Breaksteel was frozen with fear, unable to speak, nor was he able to look away from her burning gaze.

"Ten seconds." His ears flattened against his skull and he pressed himself to the floor, his spark pulsing wildly in his chest as his processor raced. He didn't even know why he had done what he had done. It was instinct, and he was powerless against it.

"Five seconds." The bronze femme's gaze was terrifying, and the mech wanted nothing more than to run. But the moment he moved, her jaws and claws would tear into him, and he knew it.

"Time's up." The words emerged from her chest quietly but Breaksteel felt them like he had been shot by a fusion cannon. He shuttered his optics and cringed away, trying to figure out how to protect his most vulnerable areas when another voice cut through the silence.

"Sister. I think I understand his actions." Breaksteel felt rather than saw Warrior Star move, and he cracked open an optic to see that her gaze was no longer on him. Her cobalt blue optics were focused on the big black wolf with golden optics, the only mech in the room that hadn't leaped to his feet when Breaksteel had nearly launched himself at the black bi-ped mech.

"Speak, Keystone, since he seems unable to do so himself." Her voice was cold and filled with scorn, and she finally stepped away to walk towards her eldest brother. The mech, Keystone, waited until his sister reached him to speak, his voice so quiet that not even Breaksteel could hear his words.

"You must be joking, brother." Warrior Star said suddenly, taking a step back to stare at the black wolf with disbelief all over her face. He merely shook his huge head, and she huffed in annoyance before turning away and heading for the door. Everyone present watched her walk outside, then they all turned to look at Breaksteel thoughtfully.

"You have some explaining to do, mech." Shadowfang said, staring at him warily as Breaksteel slowly got to his feet. All he could do was look at the other mech and nod.

He had no idea what was going on.

* * *

**A/N: I love long weekends. They give me much needed time to recharge and relax and work on small projects. I've recently begun working on cross-stitch again. For those of you that have never had the 'pleasure', it is very time consuming and extremely detailed needlework. And oh my god. It can be such a pain in the ass, trying to get each tiny little stitch right. The only reason I picked it up again (after ten years not doing it) was to work on a gift for a coworker that is leaving in a few weeks. She's getting out of the military and going home, so I figured hey, that's a great reason to sit down and do a nice little cross-stitch. Holy crap. I swear, I'm almost regretting it, but the little bugger is almost done. Completed it will be 2.5 by 2.5 inches. I've been working on the damn thing for two weeks. Probably put like eighteen hours of work into the thing. But it's really pretty and quite cute, and I think she'll like it, so that makes it well worth all the time invested.**

**Anyway! This turned out to be an interesting chapter. Explaining Breaksteel's behavior is turning out to be quite fun, and I rather like how the Muse is making him clueless to his own actions. I also love Warrior Star in this one, back to her bone-breaking, fearsome self. I haven't figured out where Will went after the scuffle...I think she put him down on the berth before she leaped at Breaksteel.**

**Wow long author's note...thank you as always to my readers, reviewers, and followers! You peeps are amazing!**

**As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


	12. A Threat, A Promise, A Warning

Warrior Star stalked out of the Med Bay, her optics blazing with anger as her entire body trembled ominously. The bronze femme wasn't just angry. She was _furious._

_Who does he think he is?_ She thought, her claws biting into the pavement as she paced back and forth in front of the Med Bay in her rage. Then she paused momentarily, uncertain if her fury was directed at Breaksteel…or her brother.

_Keystone brought up a good point…yet…I cannot help but disagree with the mech. Nothing, NOTHING, warrants attacking a mech that isn't displaying any threat behaviors. Besides, I am well able to care for myself…Breaksteel should not have acted so aggressively. He deserved to feel my fangs._ The bronze femme started moving again, allowing a snarl to curl at her jaws. Then she paused with a massive paw in the air, her head turning to stare downwards when a familiar voice reached her audios.

"Well. What was that about?" Will Lennox asked, his arms crossed as he squinted up at her. The sun cast highlights across the human's face, bringing out the light hazel tone of his eyes as his short cut brown hair gleamed under the light.

Warrior Star stayed silent for several moments, feeling the tension drain from her massive frame as she stared down at the human that was her greatest friend. Finally she vented sharply, allowing herself to sink to her stomach as she lowered her head to the ground. Will approached without fear, leaning against her muzzle and staring straight into her optics as she studied him thoughtfully.

"Breaksteel was trying to defend me from Ironhide. Instinct, Keystone called it. Ridiculous is what I think of it. I can certainly defend myself against a threat, and Ironhide was not one. Why the mech thought I was in danger is beyond me." She growled in annoyance, shuttering her optics as Will gently ran a hand along the plates of armor on her muzzle. She turned her attention to his touch, allowing the gentle movements of his fingers on her armor to lull her into a slight recharge as the sun warmed her back plates.

The bronze femme relaxed even further as the pain from her injuries faded into the background under the human's touch and the sun on her frame. She tensed only slightly when she felt the subtle tremors of a mech's feet on the floor inside the Med Bay, but didn't open her optics as the door opened. She did, however, come to attention when the mech spoke.

"William. Warrior Star. Ratchet wants you back on your berth. You have further repairs to be completed and he wants to ensure you didn't injure yourself further when you went for Breaksteel." She huffed softly, raising her head only when Will was clear to eye her brother in a less than friendly manner.

"Did you gut the mech, Shadowfang?" She asked, feeling her brother's amusement as he tugged at her spark gently.

"No, sister. We only spoke to him. He is…suitably chastened now. It may be best for you to leave him in peace…for now. And Ironhide has some replacement armor plates for you. That's why he stopped by. The mech finally just gave up and has made you a full backup set so you don't have to wait on armor repairs." Warrior Star rose to her feet, stretching and yawning as Will patted Shadowfang's paw affectionately. The steel gray mech lowered his head, allowing the human to clamber onto his nose before he turned back to go into the Med Bay, striding out in time with his sister as Warrior Star stepped forward as well.

Warrior Star's optics narrowed only in the slightest as every optic in the room focused on her, but she otherwise ignored them as she bounded back onto the berth she had previously occupied. She settled onto her stomach as Ratchet glared at her ominously, tapping his favorite wrench into the palm of one hand as Shadowfang reclaimed his berth with Will still perched comfortably on his nose.

The bronze femme gritted her dentals when the wrench danced painfully across her skull plates, and she leveled a glare at the chief medical officer that promised a painful retribution for the action. He ignored her, going back to work on her injuries while checking over her frame quickly for new damage as Shadowfang bit back a snarl when Ratchet's wrench flew his way and landed with a clang. The pain that flickered through her bond with her second brother made her bare her fangs in an angered snarl, but Shadowfang and Keystone both reached through and embraced her spark, sending her love and calm as the black mech spoke soothingly.

_Calm, sister. Ratchet punished every single mech in here for the chaos. Breaksteel got it quite badly actually. Take your punishment with grace, Warrior Star._ She turned her head far enough to see her brother, and the look in her optics brought him pause.

_ I. Will. Not. Breaksteel was the cause. Shadowfang and I stopped him. The 'chaos' as you described it was not our fault. We deserved no such punishment, and you know it._ Turning her attention from the uneasy silence in the bonds to the medic working on her injuries, she focused on Ratchet, narrowing her optics as she stared at him menacingly. He felt her gaze and immediately looked at her, pausing his work as he studied her uneasily.

"Ratchet. Let me make this very, _very_ clear. If you ever punish one of my brothers for an action that was not their fault to begin with, you _will_ be hearing from me. And if you ever, _ever_ strike me again without a _fragging good reason_…you _will_ feel my fangs. I care not what Optimus will do to me. Do not _ever_ strike me or my brothers again unless it is _our_ actions that are the direct cause for the punishment. What happened here today was not my fault, nor was it Shadowfang's. You had _no right_ to strike either of us. And while I'm thinking on it…the only one left in this world that has the right to punish Shadowfang and Keystone is me. No. One. Else. Am I clear?" Every mech in the Med Bay was staring at the femme in awe and no small amount of trepidation for how she spoke. Ratchet's temper was legendary and he feared no one. The look in Warrior Star's brightly gleaming optics, however, promised that what she said was deadly true. Every optic in the room turned to the medic, gauging his reaction to the femme's challenge. His light blue optics were narrowed thoughtfully as he met the bronze femme's gaze, and he pondered for just a moment before replying.

"You are aware that you are in my Med Bay, right femme? And that I control every medic on this base? This is my turf, not yours. Do not threaten me." Slowly, with every ounce of killing power frighteningly evident, Warrior Star rose to her feet, staring straight into the medic's optics as every mech in the room froze.

"It may be your Med Bay but those are _my_ brothers. No one controls them but me. And _no one_ controls me. I will respect your boundaries, but only if you respect mine. And what I said was not a threat, Ratchet…it was a promise and a warning." The tension between the bronze wolf and the chief medic was killer, but it was broken when a smile crossed Ratchet's face. He reached out a hand to the femme, and she shifted her weight to place a massive paw into his hand.

"Fair enough, Warrior Star. Fair enough."

* * *

**A/N: Well. This one turned out rather strange. Been working on it for a couple days, but the confrontation between Warrior Star and Ratchet was entirely unexpected. Plot bunnies disappeared, now they reappeared with the strangest little battles in their evil furry little heads. How odd.**

**So sorry for the long absence! Been mongo busy in my corner of the country. But thankfully everything has slowed down for now...hopefully that means more chapters and more writing. That and I've also picked back up on crafting projects so I've been making stuff for my friends. That and the Muse took another vacation on me...I've been wanting to write like mad but the moment I sit down and put my fingers to the keys, I feel like my mind is just as empty as the page in front of me. I hate writer's block.**

**To my dear readers, reviewers, favoriters, and followers, thank you for your unending patience! You are amazing people!**

**Until we meet again...**

**Kani**


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